3 Dimensional Images

3d image

All images are 3 dimensional.  The thickness of the ink film determines
opacity and how the image feels.  Now with high density ink, there are
other opportunities to create very attractive new graphics and to increase
productivity.

High density ink is not more dense.  The ink is a standard plastisol ink with an additive
that holds the edge definition of an image printed through capillary film.  This
cannot be done with water based inks.  Capillary film and a retensionable
screen are required to produce these new graphics.  This ink is not puff
ink.  Puff expands when being cured, but high density ink does not.  Letters
like p, d, o and q will close in when printed with puff ink, but will hold
their resolution when printed with high density ink.

High density ink can be printed with high resolution to stand off the garment by the thickness
of the stencil selected.  Any font, logo and color can be reproduced by
this photographic process.  Also, details less than 6 mm will be absolutely
sharp.  These are clear advantages compared to embroidery.  Corporate
customers want their images on apparel to match their images in advertising,
packaging and stationary.  Now with high density ink a screen printer
has a better product than embroidery.

A 100 micron capillary film compensates for the texture of a pique, herringbone or similar
textured shirt.  If this image had been printed with ink which is not
high density, the ink would follow the texture of the garment rather than be
high resolution.

This new ink can be used to eliminate flash curing on some jobs. A thicker ink deposit
printed to a controlled thickness using capillary film and tight mesh produces
excellent opacity without flash curing and printing again.  If a white
ink is printed on a black shirt, flashing may allow printing only 30-40 shirts
per hour on a manual press compared to 100-120 by eliminating the flash cure.  A
110 mesh and 50 micron capillary film are recommended.

A variety of new graphics are now possible with high density ink.  A basketball
can be printed with the bumps (large half tone dots) to look like a real, ball.  Lenticular,
3-D kinetic and layered colors will create new interest among customers.

The high density ink selected needs to print exactly the same regardless of color, and
release easily from the screen.  The adhesive quality of the ink can be
evaluated easily after stirring the ink thoroughly.  When the stir stick
is withdrawn from the can, the ink should drop off the stick like pudding.  If
the ink draws out like chewing gum in a long string of ink, the ink will not
release from the screen.  A screen printer will find stiff high density
ink works better with open images and thin stencils.  Detailed images
printed through thick stencils (200 microns and thicker) need a better brand
of ink.